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The GOLDEN AGE according to Ovid (Metamorphoses, BOOK I, vv 89-112) [After
the chaos has been transformed in kosmos (by the separation of the elements),
the four winds blow in the five zones of the earth and 'man' is formed... With
Hesiod the 'ages' are 'generations', which gives a mpre logical transtion to
the following part: the division of time in periods: the gold, silver, bronze,
iron...
P. Ovidi Nasonis, Metamorphosen,
Liber I
(vv. 89-112) |
Translation (A.S. Kline, slightly revised) |
Aurea prima sata est aetas, quae vindice nullo,
sponte sua, sine lege fidem rectumque colebat.
poena metusque aberant, nec verba minantia fixo
aere legebantur, nec supplex turba timebat
iudicis ora sui, sed erant sine vindice tuti.
nondum caesa suis, peregrinum ut viseret orbem,
montibus in liquidas pinus descenderat undas,
nullaque mortales praeter sua litora norant;
nondum praecipites cingebant oppida fossae;
non tuba derecti, non aeris cornua flexi,
non galeae, non ensis erat: sine militis usu
mollia securae peragebant otia gentes.
ipsa quoque inmunis rastroque intacta nec ullis
saucia vomeribus per se dabat omnia tellus,
contentique cibis nullo cogente creatis
arbuteos fetus montanaque fraga legebant
cornaque et in duris haerentia mora rubetis
et quae deciderant patula Iovis arbore glandes.
ver erat aeternum, placidique tepentibus auris
mulcebant zephyri natos sine semine flores;
mox etiam fruges tellus inarata ferebat,
nec renovatus ager gravidis canebat aristis;
flumina iam lactis, iam flumina nectaris ibant,
flavaque de viridi stillabant ilice mella. |
The Golden Age was the first to emerge, in which without coercion,
without laws, spontaneously nurtured the good and the true.
There was no fear or punishment: there were no threatening words to be
read, fixed
in bronze, no crowd of suppliants fearing
the judge’s face: they lived safely without protection.
Not yet – to travel to far-away lands – a pine-tree, felled
Had descended from its mountains to the flowing waves:
human beings only knew their own shores.
There were no steep ditches surrounding towns,
no straight war-trumpets, no coiled horns,
no swords and helmets. Without the use of military force,
people passed their lives in sweet peace and security.
The earth herself also, freely, without the scars of ploughs,
untouched by hoes, produced everything from herself.
Contented with food that grew without cultivation,
they collected mountain strawberries and the fruit of the strawberry
tree,
wild cherries, blackberries clinging to the tough brambles,
and acorns fallen from Jupiter’s spreading oak-tree.
Spring was eternal, and gentle Westernwinds caressed
with warm breezes the flowers that grew without being seeded.
Soon the untilled earth gave of its produce and,
without needing renewal, the fields whitened with heavy ears of corn.
And yet rivers of milk flowed, yet streams of nectar,
and golden honey trickled from the green holm oak. |
Translation (poetic paraphrasis) by Clément Marot:
...
L'eage doré sur touts resplendissant,
Fut le premier au monde fleurissant:
Auquel chascun sans correcteur, et loy,
De son bon gré gardoit justice, et foy.
En peine, et peur aulcun ne souloit vivre:
Loix menaçants ne se gravoyent en cuyvre
Fiché en murs: paovres gens sans refuge
Ne redoubtoyent la face de leur juge:
Mais en seurté se sçavoyent accointer,
Sans qu'il faillust juge à les appointer.
L'arbre du Pin charpenté, et fendu,
N'estoit encor des haultz monts descendu
Sur les grands eaux, pour flotter, et nager,
Et en pays estrange voyager.
Hommes mortelz ne congnoissoient à l'heure
Fors seullement le lieu de leur demeure.
Fossés profonds, et murs de grands efforts
N'environnoyent encor villes, et forts.
Trompes, clerons d'Aerain droit, ou tortu,
L'armet, la lance, et le glaive poinctu
N'estoit encor. Sans usage, et alarmes
De chevaliers, de pietons, et gensd'armes,
Les gens alors seurement en touts cas
Accomplissoyent leurs plaisirs delicats.
La terre aussi, non froissée, et serve
(Par homme aulcun) du soc de la charrue,
Donnoit de soy touts biens à grand' planté:
Sans qu'on y eust ne semé, ne planté:
Et les vivants, contents de la pasture
Produicte alors sans labeur, ne culture,
Cueilloyent le fruict des saulvages Pommiers,
Fraises aux montz, les cormes aux Cormiers,
Pareillment les meures, qui sont joinctes
Contre buyssons pleins d'espineuses poinctes,
Avec le gland, qui leur tomboit à gré
Du large Chesne à Juppiter sacré.
Printemps le verd regnoit incessamment,
Et Zephyrus souspirant doulcement
Souefves rendoit par tiedes alenées
Les belles fleurs sans semence bien nées.
Terre portoit les fruicts tost, et à poinct,
Sans cultiver. Le champ, sans estre point
Renouvellé, par tout devenoit blanc
Par force espis plein de grain bel, et franc,
Prests à cueillir. Fleuves de laicts couloyent,
Fleuves de vin aussi couler souloyent,
Et le doulx miel, dont lors chascun goustoit,
Des arbres verds tout jaulne desgoustoit.
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